Techlink is a proud Cape Breton-headquartered company with a more than 20-year history in leading-edge gaming technology design, manufacture and deployment. We serve markets internationally and have won acclaim regionally and nationally. In fact, Techlink is one of the area’s largest non-public technology sector employers and a major contributor to the region’s economy.

About 10 years ago, a Nova Scotia provincial government under siege by critics far and wide because of its failure to better protect problem gamblers from self-inflicted harm sought a technology solution to a controversial problem. Techlink was asked to develop a product that would shield gamblers from the horrible pitfalls of impulsive betting.

As a relatively young and audacious company committed to responsible gambling, Techlink accepted the Nova Scotia government’s challenge. Cape Breton ingenuity, know-how and determination came to the forefront. Our team designed, developed and produced a powerful and versatile system, initially deployed as the Informed Player Choice System (IPCS) and known today as My-Play. And the world gaming community took note.

In delivery of the product to government, we advanced a number of recommendations for deployment to achieve optimum effect. In the end, those recommendations were largely ignored, and the technology was deployed far below its full potential to minimize impact on gaming revenues.

Techlink was notified of the McNeil government’s decision to tear down My-Play just minutes before a public announcement. This says a great deal about the current government’s anti-business philosophy. It says even more about the McNeil government’s blatant disregard for the Cape Breton economy and the unique challenges it faces.

More importantly, the McNeil government's decision disrespects the hard work, capability and innovativeness of talented, hard-working Cape Bretoners who commanded the attention of the world gaming community with a groundbreaking new product.

Finally, despite the recent Ivany report's recommendation that more emphasis be placed on entrepreneurship and business in rebuilding an anemic Nova Scotia economy, the current provincial government has taken a road with My-Play that lacks foresight and the resolve to make a difference to our collective future.

The McNeil government will tear down My-Play and in the process set the Cape Breton economy back, compromise the island’s technology sector, and throw video lottery terminal (VLT) players under the bus.

At this pivotal time in the province’s history, this demeanor is far removed from what is needed to chart the new course called for in the Ivany report. All Nova Scotia residents should despair. What will it take for Cape Bretoners to stand up together and say enough is enough?

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Nova Taxa

August 22, 2014 - 22:59

VLT revenue has dropped in Nova Scotia to $105.9 million in 2013-14, down from $137.2 million in 2011-2012. Even with a light enrollment option which effectively hobbled the system as per government request it still worked, dropping revenue from VLT's. That seems to be the real reason, they stunted cash flow, which governments can't have. The product was a revenue killer, that's why government killed it. Welcome to Nova Taxa, get out your wallet to pay Big Brother.

Here the problem lies. Question: Why do we have so many politicians in Nova Scotia? Answer: To tell the taxpayers there is no money to support infrastructure. Eg: roads, schools, college's etc. Question: Why do we KEEP so many politicians in Nova Scotia? Answer: So as they can collect a pension & further collect more money from taxpayers to increase the amount of their pension.

Xidos made lots of money while vlts weren't regulated. I believe these regulated machines now are the scourge of Cape Breton and should be outlawed. Remember the technology is designed to hook chronic gamblers. Not many bars or legions are left in CBRM without a bank of these machines. More importantly is the percentage of available cash leaving the island to pay revenue to Provincial government and First Nations. Remember who is playing and addicted, those who cannot afford it or are relying on social assistance. Available cash would be spent in restaurants and shops if it wasn't fed into these machines. This also includes the Casinos in Sydney and Membertou. Bingo, at least, used to fund charities, not any more. Get rid of all of these machines.

VLT revenue is down 25% since the launch of this system.....which means it worked!! This is simply a dirty tactic by the Liberal government to get their revenue back up! The proof is in the numbers......it worked, maybe too well!!

The sad truth is that the NS government wants gambling addicts as that is what further drives their revenue! This my play system was meant to help problem gambling which it obviously did and revenue decreased as a result. Easy to say it didn't work. Well why did revenue decrease? Of course it worked and now they want their revenue back to the level it was....so remove the system and support in place that helps problem gambling. Shame on you, shame on you Mr MacNeil!

The problem, as I see it, was not with the technology but rather the way in which the NS government decided to implement and run the system. After investing substantial taxpayers' $$ into a system, they decide to simply pull the plug! A wise decision maker would look for ways to improve the system and overall process versus completely abandoning something that taxpayers invested in for the good of Nova Scotians. What about the return on investment? The gov't thought RG was important enough to make the investment but not important enough to tweak and improve the process. Shame on the NS government for turning their back on taxpayers and simply giving up on something that was previously identified as being important. No chance of ever seeing any return now on that investment!!

This was doomed to fail from the start. Think about it, the province of NS relies heavily on the revenues generated from gambling. The province itself is addicted to VLTs. They will never spend money on a product that will in theory decrease their revenues. If this product had been more sucessful then it would have been dropped earlier.

It definitely worked! That's why VLT revenue is down but now the Liberals want more VLT revenue so remove the program that helps problem gamblers?? How can this be justified? This just might be the dirtiest political decision I've heard of yet! And it's a shame that a CB company will bear the blunt of another bad political decision made by this province. Someone should be made accountable for this decision!

johnnyboy

August 22, 2014 - 09:26

This company never should have received one dime. Lesson here kids if you don't have a job and you're not really an entrepreneur create your own job with gambling money and government grants.

Ok, let me get this correct, you say that you've been in business for over 20years and you're knocking a gov't for cancelling something that obviously wasn't working! As a businessman when you're experimenting with a product that obviously won't work tell me; do you continue throwing money at it or do you scrap and start over? My guess is that you scrap and start over. The province free-will spending days are over, the cupboards are bare and the realization that programs that aren't doing what they're supposed to do are scrapped,,,no chance at the triple 7's or cherries, your My-Play has become Your-Play not the Province-Pay.

John Xidos, I agree with you. In delivery of the product to government, we advanced a number of recommendations for deployment to achieve optimum effect. In the end, those recommendations were largely ignored, and the technology was deployed far below its full potential to minimize impact on gaming revenues. This is how the government operates. It implements the minimum changes and when it doesn't work they place blame on the company. Governments don't know how to run a successful business and they don't want anybody else to. Hope you are able to get over this glitch and continue to run your business. I know you can do it more successfully than the government can.

The letter by John Xidos, president and CEO
Techlink Entertainment sounds like a petulant child. Same old Cape Breton whining and blaming Halifax. The program was a expensive dud that was useless, money better spent on a lot of other needs in CBRM. After reading your tirade about picking on CB, I would never do business with you. You are making this personal. Wrong move.

Actually, it smells like you're clueless. Perhaps you should dig a little deeper. This sounds to me like what he actually wanted was for the government to wake up and implement the system correctly. So, Techlink seeks the advise from internationally recognized gambling experts and puts a Responsible Gambling Advisory Board in place yet Minister Younger knows better? Hmmmmmm

caperguy

August 22, 2014 - 04:32

TO HALIFAX,,YOU SAY , THIS HAS THE SMELL OF BACKROOM BOYS?? well i say it has the smell of something that did,nt work ,, but still wants the gig to go on ,, on the taxpayers back,,classic example of something that does not work,what the mayor and chamber should not take is companies like this putting a bad name on the island,, a get rich on taxpayers money,,for an inferior product

This move has the smell of the "backroom boys" of the Halifax establishment; who really run this province lock, stock and barrel; finding a way to score one for their side. How dare a home grown Cape Breton based business dare to go international. People should remember that the province's investment and support of Techlink was by way of the arm's length Nova Scotia Business Inc.; not the political slush fund administered by Nova Scotia Economic Development and controlled by the Nova Scotia Cabinet. The Sydney and Area Chamber of Commerce and the Mayor should not take this lying down!